HP proffers picture-perfect printers

Hewlett Packard (HP) has unveiled a new generation of photo printers that it claims produce better-looking and longer-lasting prints than a traditional photo lab.

The firm said the four inkjet printers - the 130, 7150, 7350 and 7550 - will be released in its mid- to high-end bracket and will cost between $179 and $399.

They are intended primarily for printing digital photos, which HP sees as the key driver for future sales of its imaging and printing products.

Independent tests by the SpencerLab Digital Colour Laboratory have been carried out to compare the HP print quality to traditional silver halide prints made by a local photo lab.

SpencerLab president David Spencer said that inkjet printers had been getting closer to photographic prints standard. He said some produced pictures close to the same standard of prints, although the HP printer had performed the best.

The standard of prints had been boosted by improvements to paper design, where second-generation photo paper lasts up to 49 years in open air - longer than traditional prints, he said.